DATE=12/14/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=TERRORIST WARNING (L)
NUMBER=2-257150
BYLINE=GIL BUTLER
DATELINE=STATE DEPARTMENT
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: The United States says it will hold
Afghanistan's Taleban movement responsible if any
terrorist attacks are carried out against Americans.
The message was delivered to a Taleban representative
on Monday. Amid reports of arrests of terrorist
suspects in the Middle East, the U-S State Department
issued a warning for Americans abroad to exercise
extra caution. Correspondent Gil Butler reports.
TEXT: On Saturday, the State Department issued a
warning that there was a credible terrorist threat to
Americans abroad coinciding with the coming new year
and the current Islamic fasting month of Ramadan.
State Department spokesman James Foley, while giving
no details, confirmed that terrorist suspects have
been arrested and are believed to be part of the Osama
bin Laden network. The fugitive Saudi millionaire is
accused of masterminding the 1998 bomb attacks on U-S
embassies in Kenya and Tanzania that killed more than
200 people.
The State Department says the Taleban, which controls
most of Afghanistan, gives Osama bin Laden safe haven.
So on Monday, the top U-S counter-terrorism official,
Michael Sheehan, met in New York with Abdul Hakeem
Majahid, a Taleban representative, and gave him what
was described here as "an emphatic message."
/// Foley Act ///
The United States will hold the Taleban
responsible for any terrorist attacks carried
out by Bin Laden's network.
/// End Act ///
The spokesman declined to say if there was a specific
threat by terrorists, as some reports have suggested.
But, he said the terrorist threat to Americans still
exists.
/// Foley Act ///
We have a responsibility to inform Americans of
information that would be relevant to their
security, and we have not been specific in that
regard. Rather, we have indicated that this is
potentially a global threat and therefore we
issued a worldwide caution to Americans to be
taking precautionary measures as they travel and
move about overseas.
/// End Act ///
The Taleban militia is already under United Nations
Security Council sanctions for failing to turn over
Osama bin Laden for the East African embassy bombings.
Mr. Foley said Taleban representative Abdul Majahid
left his meeting with Mr. Sheehan without any doubt
about how serious the United States is about the
consequences, should there be any terrorist attack by
Osama bin Laden. (signed)
NEB/MGB/JP
14-Dec-1999 16:45 PM EDT (14-Dec-1999 2145 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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